Every day, visitors from around the world make their way to the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art – not necessarily for the galleries inside, but for a statue of a fictional boxer from South Philadelphia. The bronze figure of Rocky Balboa – arms raised in victory, clad in boxing trunks and boots – has become a point of pilgrimage for people around the world.
Business in the front, party in the back. A packed Danish crowd recently celebrated the much-maligned but enduring mullet hairstyle, defined by very short hair at the front and longer hair at the back.
By WALLACE IMMEN/ A cruise ship with a checkered history, Gemini is reported to have been arrested in Greece due to unpaid debts the owner owes to a Turkish financial institution.
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ From The Cult last week to Tom Jones this, don’t say we’re not versatile. At any rate, what were you doing on April 21, 1968? I don’t know either (I was alive), but we know that the hunky Welsh crooner was performing on the Ed Sullivan show.
Films, series and music tours are increasingly shaping destination choices, turning cultural content into measurable travel demand, according to new data from Civitatis. Travellers are increasingly choosing destinations based on what they watch, listen to and engage with digitally, says the activities booking platform.
After more than a decade of negotiations, the European Parliament and EU members reached an agreement on reforming air passenger rights this week, beating the June 15th deadline before expiry. The rules had not been updated since 2004.
The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) has released its 2026 Adventure Travel Trends & Insights report. The latest findings point to continued growth across the sector in 2025, with a slower pace than previous years, yet reveals an industry that remains resilient and profitable while shifting toward more intentional, sustainable, and value-driven growth.
With the FIFA World Cup in full swing, the Brazilian Tourist Board has embraced soccer/football’s global profile as part of a new strategy to promote international tourism in the South American nation – a country where “the beautiful game” is synonymous with Brazilian culture worldwide.
The Bahamas is rolling out a series of major tourism developments this season, including the pilot launch of a new digital arrival system for international visitors and continued investment from some of the world’s largest cruise brands.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E cruises down a London road choked with traffic, using its onboard AI system to avoid jaywalkers and cyclists, and navigate roadwork as it drives to its destination.
Over the past decade, the stream of travel scams has become a flood, posing pitfalls that range from fake websites to phishing emails, phoney vacation listings and hacked loyalty points.
Despite widespread awareness of health risks tied to certain foods and tap water abroad, many travellers continue to engage in behaviours that increase the likelihood of illness, according to the Global Rescue 2026 Traveller Sentiment and Safety Survey.
Air Canada has published its Accessibility Plan 2026-29, outlining the airline’s progress since its inaugural 2023 plan along with its future-focused three-year plan to continually reduce barriers in travel and employment for persons with disabilities.
The MET – Montreal Metropolitan Airport – has welcomed its first passengers and commercial flights, marking the official start of operations and the commencement of service by the YHU
The number of cruise ship visitors to Pond Inlet, Nunavut, a small predominantly Inuit community on northern Baffin Island, has grown exponentially since 2022, though seemingly at the expense of Iqaluit, according to newly released Statistics Canada figures.
When Manhattan’s original Pennsylvania Station was demolished in 1963, it marked the undignified end to one of America’s great public works, a monolithic Beaux Arts train terminal with Roman-style columns and a spacious central waiting area that was at the time the city’s largest indoor space.
New research commissioned by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) warns that prolonged border delays linked to the rollout of Europe’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) could put up to 41 million visitor arrivals and $45.4 billion in visitor spending at risk from four of Europe’s most important source markets, including Canada.
The federal government’s popular Canada Strong Pass will come into effect June 19. Launched last year, the successful promotion is designed to encourage domestic travel and can be used by both Canadians and international visitors.
Air Transat has inaugurated its non-stop route between Montreal and Agadir with the first flight TS492, operated on Friday, June 12. This Moroccan destination becomes the airline’s second served from Montreal, following Marrakech. The seasonal service will be offered once a week, on Fridays, until October 23, 2026.
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Visit Madeira has launched an awareness campaign, “EXPLORE. RESPECT. PRESERVE.” that invites both visitors and residents to take an active role in preserving and enhancing Madeira and Porto Santo. The initiative focuses on the relationship between tourists and residents, which is part of a wider program called Upgrade – Madeira Tourism.
Porter Airlines is adding another destination to its sun network with service to Providenciales (PLS), Turks and Caicos. The new non-stop flights are available from Toronto Pearson five times weekly, beginning Nov. 6, and Ottawa twice weekly, beginning Dec. 17.
Building on data from its inaugural Hidden Trends List 2026, a global online marketplace says this summer’s travel patterns point to a fundamental shift in how people think about going somewhere: not farther, but deeper.
Canadians are slowly returning to U.S. travel. Returns to this country by residents surged in May, up 9.5% year over year, building on a bump in April that had ended a 15-month slump, according to Statistic Canada data. In May, Canadian-resident return trips from the United States totalled 1.9 million, driven by an increase in return trips by automobile (+15.1%).
Air Canada announced its customer service employees ratified a new collective bargaining agreement. The agreement with Unifor applies to about 6,000 employees across contact centres, customer relations, concierges and other business segments.
Spanish carrier Iberia officially launched its new direct route between Toronto and Madrid on Saturday. The new route will operate five times per week – Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays – and offer more than 37,000 seats during the summer season.
One of the most anticipated cultural openings in the country, the long-awaited Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago is set to open to the public on June 19 with a full slate on opening weekend activities.
As the federal government lays out the groundwork for the country’s journey into AI, the effects of the emergent technology are already being felt in the country’s workplaces.
A round-up of news nuggets, airlines, hotels/resorts, cruising, tours, events, FAMS/incentives, deals, destinations and more are covered in our weekly round-up of travel industry news you may have missed.
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Fifteen years ago when I wrote about Dina Bertolo’s (first) retirement from Thomas Cook North America, I dubbed her “Queen Dina” – a name that not surprisingly stuck. But just when she thought she was out, the travel industry, as it does, pulled her back in, and another dozen eventful years at Air Canada Vacations ensued.
Soaring fuel prices and a halt of all of its flights to Cuba pushed Transat A.T. Inc. earnings deep into loss territory last quarter, as global strife continues to damage airlines’ bottom lines.